Fire-resistant system and method for passing at least one cable, tube or the like through an opening in a wall

ABSTRACT

A fire resistant system for passing at least one cable, tube or the like through an opening in a wall, which system comprises a fire-resistant sleeve member comprising a continuous slit, which is at least partially arranged round said at least one cable, tube or the like, and which is at least partially installed in said opening, characterized in that the sleeve member can be placed in a position in which longitudinal edges of said slit overlap permanently under material stress.

[0001] The invention relates to a fire-resistant system for passing atleast one cable, tube or the like through an opening in a wall. Theinvention also relates to a method for passing at least one cable, tubeor the like through an opening in a wall, using the aforesaid system.Hereinafter, the term “wall” will be used for the sake of simplicity,whilst said term is understood to include other partitions as well, suchas bulkheads, division plates and the like.

[0002] Such a system and such a method are known from European patentpublication No 0 534 563 of the present Applicant. The bushing systemthat is disclosed therein consists-of a steel bushing mounted in anopening in a wall, through which a number of cables, which may or maynot be multiple cables, are passed. Each cable is enclosed in a rubbersleeve member or hose member, whilst the remaining space in the wallopening is filled with similar hose members. Finally, the wall openingis sealed with a suitable sealing putty. The hose members are providedwith a continuous slit so as to make it easier to arrange the hosemembers round the cables that have already been drawn.

[0003] One drawback of this known system and this known method is thatseveral sleeve members or hose members having varying diameters arerequired if various types of cables having varying diameters are passedthrough the opening in the-wall. After all, each type of cable diameterrequires its own corresponding type of hose member diameter. It standsto reason that the manufacture, the transport and the storage of varioustypes of hose members is found to be laborious, whilst it must bedetermined upon installation at the building site which type of hosemember fits which type of cable, which stands in the way of an efficientinstallation process.

[0004] The object of the invention is to improve the system disclosed inthe aforesaid European patent specification in the sense that thedrawbacks as indicated above are overcome.

[0005] In order to accomplish that objective, a bushing system of thekind referred to in the introduction is according to the inventioncharacterized in that the sleeve member can be placed in a position inwhich longitudinal edges of said slit overlap permanently under materialstress. The advantage of this is that one type of sleeve member or hosemember will suffice in spite of the fact that different cable diametersare used. An important feature of the sleeve member, which is preferablymade from a resilient material, is the fact the resilience of thematerial makes it possible to place the sleeve member in variouspositions, in which the extent to which the longitudinal edges of thecontinuous slit overlap varies with each different position. In otherwords, the effective diameter of the sleeve member can be varied byreducing or increasing the extent to which the longitudinal edgesoverlap in dependence on the diameter of a respective cable being passedthrough. It is noted that the term “permanent overlap” in thisconnection is understood to mean that the longitudinal edges of thecontinuous slit do not automatically spring back from the position inwhich they overlap to a position in which they no longer overlap andconsequently lie opposite each other, for example due to stresses in thematerial. As already said before, the sleeve member or hose member canbe deformed in such a manner that the longitudinal edges of thecontinuous slit take up a desired overlapping position and remain inthat position, which position corresponds to a diameter of a respectivecable passed through the wall opening. Several cables, tubes or the likemay be drawn through by one hose member.

[0006] In one preferred embodiment of the system according to theinvention, the longitudinal edges overlap 1-5 cm, in particular 2-4 cm.Experiments have shown that this makes it possible to use the sleevemember with practically any cable diameter.

[0007] In another preferred embodiment of a system according to theinvention, the fire-resistant sleeve member is at least substantiallymade from a fire-resistant rubber. The rubber is an elastomer or aplastomer, in particular EVA rubber, EVA standing forEthylene/Vinyl/Acetate. In a preferred variant, the fire-resistantrubber can expand under the influence of heat, so that a sufficientdegree of “tightness” is realised in the opening. A further importantadvantage of said the expansion is the fact that a longer and thus morefire-resistant “bushing mass” is obtained.

[0008] In another preferred embodiment of a system according to theinvention, several second fire-resistant sleeve members are provided,which sleeve members extend in the same direction as the first sleevemember arranged round said at least one cable, tube or the like andwhich fill the remaining space in the opening. As a result of thepresence of said “fire-resistant filling means” a sufficient degree ofair inclusion in the opening, and thus a high thermal insulation, isobtained. In particular, said first and said second sleeve members areidentical, so that only one type of sleeve member or hose member ispresent at the building site, which facilitates and simplifies theinstallation of the present system considerably.

[0009] In another preferred embodiment of a system according to theinvention, said second fire-resistant sleeve members are at leastsubstantially made from a fire-resistant rubber, and they are bondedtogether. The rubber is preferably of the kind as already explainedabove with regard to the first sleeve member. The bonding together intoone “unit” of the sleeve members functioning as “fillers” leads to theadvantage that the remaining space in the opening does not need to befilled with the hose members one by one, but that said space can befilled with only one or a few “units”, which considerably enhances theefficiency of the installation. This aspect of the invention-may also beapplied independently of the specific embodiment of the aforesaid sleevemember, for example in the system disclosed in the aforesaid Europeanpatent publication No 0 534 563, and consequently it constitutes aninvention that may be claimed separately.

[0010] In another preferred embodiment of a system according to theinvention, a heat-resistant and/or liquid-repellent material isprovided, which material is sealingly arranged on at least one open sideof the opening. Said heat-resistant and/or liquid-repellent sealingputty enhances the liquid-tightness and gas-tightness of the system.Preferably, said putty is expandable under the influence of heat.

[0011] A method for passing at least one cable, tube or the like throughan opening in a wall, using a system according to the invention,comprises the following steps:

[0012] passing said at least one cable, tube or the like through theopening,

[0013] arranging a sleeve member comprising a continuous slit whoselongitudinal edges overlap permanently under material stress at least inpart round a portion of said at least one cable, tube or the likepresent, at least in part, in said opening.

[0014] The method preferably also comprises the step of filling theremaining space in the opening with second sleeve members or hosemembers, as well as the step of sealingly providing a heat-resistantand/or liquid-repellent material on at least one open side of theopening.

[0015] The invention will now be explained in more detail with referenceto figures illustrated in a drawing, in which:

[0016]FIG. 1 is a schematic, perspective view of a preferred variant ofa system according to the invention;

[0017]FIG. 2 is a schematic, perspective view of a hose member used inthe system of FIG. 1, which hose member is arranged round a cable beingpassed through; and

[0018]FIG. 3 shows several bonded-together hose members used as fillersin the system of FIG. 1.

[0019]FIG. 1 shows a frame 1 which is mounted in an opening formed in asteel deck or bulkhead of a vessel. The frame 1 comprises a flange 2,which lies in the plane of the steel deck and which functions as asupport. After the frame. 1 has been sealingly mounted in the opening,electric lines 3 having varying diameters are drawn through the frame 1.Following that, a sleeve 4 of a fire-resistant rubber according to theinvention is arranged round each electric line 3. Said arranging of theround cables having varying diameters is easier when said one type ofsleeve 4 is used, since the sleeves 4 are provided with a continuousslit 5, whose longitudinal edges 7 overlap, as will be explained in moredetail yet with reference to FIG. 2. Then the remaining space in theframe 1 is filled with sleeves 9 of the same type of fire-resistantrubber. Finally, a heat-resistant and/or water-repellent sealing putty 6is provided on both open sides of the frame 1. Said putty 6 has beenselected because it has good bonding properties and because it will cureinto a rubbery material within 24 hours as a result of the atmospherichumidity. Preferably, the putty 6 is expandable under the influence offire. The heat-resistant and/or water-repellent putty 6 guarantees a:watertight and gaslight bushing of the electric lines 3. It is notedthat the sealing putty 6 is partially left out in FIG. 1 so as not tocomplicate FIG. 1 unnecessarily.

[0020]FIG. 2 shows that the effective diameter of a sleeve 4 can beadapted to the diameter of a respective electric line 3 by changing thedegree of overlap of the longitudinal edges 7 accordingly. Theresilience of the fire-resistant rubber is such that thelongitudinal-edges 7 will not automatically spring back when the desireddegree of overlap is reached and will remain in said desired position,therefore. The distance by which the longitudinal edges overlap andalong which the sleeve 4 has a double thickness, therefore, ranges inparticular from 2 to 4 cm. In order to avoid said double thickness, itis preferred to make the longitudinal edges 7 conical, so that they willhave a joint thickness equal to a normal thickness of the sleeve 4 inthe position in which they overlap.

[0021]FIG. 3 shows a group of six bonded-together sleeves 9 forming one“unit”, which function to fill the remaining space in the opening of theframe 1. This enables quicker and simpler filling of said space, sinceit is no longer necessary to place the sleeves into said space one byone as was previously the case. The sleeves 9 are provided with anadhesive at their contact surfaces 8 and do not have a continuous slit.

[0022] The invention is not limited to the preferred variant as shown,but it also extends to other variants that fall within the scope of theappended claims.

1. A fire-resistant system for passing at least one cable, tube or thelike through an opening in a wall, which system comprises afire-resistant sleeve member comprising a continuous slit, which isarranged at least in part round said at least one cable, tube or thelike, and which is installed at least in part in said opening,characterized in that the sleeve member can be placed in a position inwhich longitudinal edges of said slit overlap permanently under materialstress.
 2. A fire-resistant system according to claim 1, wherein thelongitudinal edges overlap 1-5 cm, in particular 2-4 cm.
 3. Afire-resistant system according to claim 1, wherein the fire-resistantsleeve member is at least substantially made from a fire-resistantrubber.
 4. A fire-resistant system according to claim 1, wherein severalsecond fire-resistant sleeve members are provided, which sleeve membersextend in the same direction as the first sleeve member arranged roundsaid at least one cable, tube or the like and which fill the remainingspace in the opening.
 5. A fire-resistant system according to claim 1,wherein said second fire-resistant sleeve members are at leastsubstantially made from a fire-resistant rubber, and they are bondedtogether.
 6. A fire-resistant system according to claim 1, wherein aheat-resistant and/or liquid-repellent material is provided, whichmaterial is sealingly arranged on at least one open side of the opening.7. A method for passing at least one cable, tube or the like through anopening in a wall, using a system according to according to claim 1,which method comprises the following steps: passing said at least onecable, tube or the like through the opening, arranging a sleeve membercomprising a continuous slit whose longitudinal edges overlappermanently under material stress at least in part round a part of saidat least one cable, tube or the like being present, at least in part, insaid opening.